Purchasing Agent

Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks; Fayetteville (AR); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks is seeking a Purchasing Agent within the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service at the VA Medical Center. The role involves procuring prosthetic, orthotic, sensory-aid and medical supplies, coordinating with clinicians and vendors, and managing orders through receipt and payment.

The position requires U.S. citizenship, background checks, and an online assessment. Telework may be authorized; if applicable, details will be discussed during the interview process.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizen.
• Online assessment required during application.
• Selective Service Registration for males born after 1959.
• Background and security investigation will be conducted.
• REAL ID-compliant identification may be required.

Responsibilities

• Purchases prosthetic, orthotic, sensory-aid, durable medical equipment and related items.
• Reviews prescriptions, purchase requests and supporting docs for completeness.
• Performs market research on products, vendors, and prices to ensure best value.
• Coordinates with Veterans, clinicians, vendors and VA staff on purchasing.
• Tracks orders from issuance to payment and resolves discrepancies.

Skills

Attention to Detail

Analytical Reasoning

Interpersonal Skills

Reading Comprehension

Oral Communication

Computer Skills

Job description

Summary

In the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) service line, the Purchasing Agent is assigned to the VA Medical Center with an active inpatient implant care coordination, outpatient treatment program and inventory responsibility. PSAS has coordination responsibility of the various clinics and Care in the Community Requests for Service care coordination from authorizations, and act as Purchasing and Inventory Management support to the administrative/clinical services of the VA.

Major Duties

Major duties include, but not limited to: Purchases prosthetic, orthotic, sensory-aid, durable medical equipment, medical supply, repair, rental, and service requirements for Veterans. Reviews clinical prescriptions, consults, purchase requests, and supporting documentation for completeness and accuracy. Conducts market research on products, vendors, contracts, prices, availability, specifications, and delivery requirements. Ensures purchases provide clinically appropriate items and the best value to VA. Coordinates with Veterans, clinicians, Prosthetic Representatives, vendors, fiscal staff, contracting staff, and other VA personnel. Uses authorized contracts, vendor resources, purchase orders, delivery orders, and Government Purchase Card procedures. Prepares, processes, modifies, and tracks purchase orders and related procurement documentation. Exercises delegated purchase-card and micro-purchase authority in accordance with VA Form 0242 and applicable policy. Tracks orders through delivery, receipt, issuance, invoicing, reconciliation, and payment. Resolves or refers order, delivery, billing, pricing, quantity, and vendor-performance discrepancies. Maintains accurate Veteran-specific purchasing, financial, inventory, equipment, and medical-record documentation.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the agency.) Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Purchasing Agent/PDS01001A and PDS01001B Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Must pass pre-employment physical examination. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Resume Requirement: Your resume must include the following information: Job title, description of duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment; and average hours worked per week.

Evaluations

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork
• Acquisition Strategy
• Analytical Reasoning
• Computer Skills
• Oral Communication
• Technical Credibility

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Resume The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Resume Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility): Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade. Examples of appropriate SF-50's include: Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or SF-50's at the highest grade